I finally got around to playing with an iPad today and decided I wouldn't mind buying one once Apple gives us the option to use the damn thing like a laptop replacement. I want to be able to connect my camera to the iPad and download the pictures to the Photo app. I also want to be able to dock my iPhone/iPod shuffle to the iPad and sync it.
Hopefully, they open up the iPad to be more than just another device that relies on a computer.
The camera adapter should be available later this month. They don't currently have plans to enable syncing of an iPod or iPhone - still need a computer for that.
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I think the OP has a valid point, although with subsequent posts, the OP appears to be going off the deep end on a temper-tantrum rant with things like Multitasking not being available until this fall. BTW - the reason, which you asked for, I feel qualified to speculate on, having observed Apple's moves for nearly a decade: they don't rush features to market to meet someones expectations of a spec sheet or a bullet list of features (like too many tech companies these days). They release things incrementally, with each step building upon the next, so each improvement works really, really, well. Watching the quality of the user experience that they are able to generate, I would say that strategy is working brilliantly. (and I see so many fail miserably who rush a feature list to market).
On the potential of the missed opportunity, I too thought the same thing when I first heard that the iPad was going to require a host computer. I envisioned my parents getting an iPad and really not needing anything else. It's a bit disappointing that you need a host computer to sync to. That was my first impressions a few weeks ago.
Having used an iPad, for a week now, I can see how someone could have the Apple folks do the initial set-up, and then not ever connect it to a host computer again. My neighbor is going to do this. He is 60, has never owned a computer, and just wants to surf the web, email, and play some poker games. All possible without a host computer. No need to transfer photos, plug in a USB cord, plug in an external HD, or thumb drive, etc, etc.
And that goes to the trouble with laptops for many people these days - they are not really mobile devices anymore. They are movable desktop replacements with a bunch of cords and devices hanging off of them to provide all this desired desktop functionality. Netbooks were supposed to free us of all that clutter and give us true mobility for simple tasks like surfing the web, emailing, and running the occasional word processor or application. The trouble is, like Jobs said, netbooks aren't particularly better at anything. They are slow, clunky hardware and difficult to use.
THAT'S where the iPad comes in. Unlike a laptop used as a desktop replacement, they offer true mobility. Unlike a netbook, they are are snappy, easy to use, elegant form factor and beautiful hardware. I expect that most iPad users will have an un-mobile computer on their desk (like a desktop or a laptop with a bunch of crap plugged into it), and an iPad for mobility.
So no, they are not a laptop replacement, but rather a true mobile computer platform that will complement whatever machine you have on your desktop. For those that have this already with their laptop, of course an iPad is not going to replace that: you already have it. I think the genius of Apple was to realize that very few people are like my neighbor or parents who want to run it without a host computer, and very few people have laptops that are functioning as true mobile devices. Most of us have a desktop computer or a moveable laptop being used as a desktop replacement with tons of crap connected to it. For that big fat middle, the iPad is perfect. It all makes sense to me now.
I seriously considered getting an iPad, but it's missing some key features. It's a half-finished pretty tablet.
The best browsing experience as Jobs puts it is actually on a windows PC. I'm a mac lover, but sorry it's true. That's why the win 7 tablets are looking much more attractive than this thing.
The companies (and the fact that this word is pluralized should be cause for concern) that are responsible for bringing that product to market have a tendency to fall into that "features list" trap and will rush the full functionality to market, meeting your required bullet list of capabilities, but likely falling far short of what Apple has achieved for user experience. That's the vicious pattern that is emerging for tech companies, and why Apple has a big, big advantage here with their approach. Additionally, having one company responsible for both hardware AND software is also a big advantage. The iSlate is going to suffer from in the user experience simply from having one company make the hardware and another make the OS. (oh, and I forgot - AND another make the processor).